New government figures show the number of homes being built has risen for the first time in nearly three years

The number of new homes built in England rose for the first time since 2007 during the second quarter of the year.

According to figures from the communities department, the number of housing completions rose by 1% to 26,550 during the second quarter. It was the first quarterly increase since the end of 2007.

There was also a 13% leap in the number of new homes started during the same period, with the figure reaching a two-year high of 28,590. The figure included a 10% rise in properties being built by private developers.

According to the department the quarter’s new housing starts was 84% higher than the market’s low point in the first quarter of 2009. However, new starts are still 42% below their peak in the first three months of 2007.

Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at the RICS, said: “The recently-published RICS Construction Market Survey shows new inquiries to begin housing projects actually turned negative in the second quarter of this year. Meanwhile, the Home Builders Federation has highlighted a drop in site visits and an increased use of incentives in its latest report. Critically, we suspect that housing starts this year will amount to around 110,000 and the number for next year will be little higher.”

The number of new homes built during 2009 was at its lowest level since the Second World War.

Topics